Is Gen Y Underemployed - Or Just Lazy?

As unemployment in the U.S. hovers around 8.2%, millions of other Americans remain underemployed - working jobs for which they are overqualified and which often don't even pay the bills. A new report, released today by PayScale and Millennial Branding, claims that Generation Y is particularly underemployed.

This report highlights that most Gen Y workers are not employed in large numbers inside America’s biggest companies. Instead, PayScale and Millenial Branding say that this demographic's preference is working for smaller firms that allow for more flexibility, an opportunity to embrace their entrepreneurial ambitions, and particularly the opportunity to use social networks at work without strict corporate guidelines. The report findings indicate, though, that big technology companies are where salaries are higher.

According to Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding, "This report confirms that Gen Y is an entrepreneurial group, highly versed in social media, and prefers freedom and flexibility over big corporate policies." He adds that, "While they are the future corporate leaders and change-makers, they are suffering in this economy by having to work in retail jobs over professional ones. A bachelor's degree can no longer be traded in for a job.”

But is Gen Y really underemployed by sheer force of the economy - or are they making a choice to work at companies that pay less but offer them that "freedom" they so desperately need? According to a recent study by Cisco, more than half of Gen Y workers "will not accept a job that bans social media." This report demonstrates that to Gen Y, they "consider the Internet to be as important as air, water, food, and shelter" and will choose a lower paying job in order to be able to use it - especially in lieu of doing any actual work.

While PayScale and Millenial Branding's report on the Gen Y worker reveals that those in this generation who choose a "big company" are in fact compensated very well (the median salary for a Gen Y worker at Google, for example, is $80,900), the report also demonstrates that most workers are choosing the alternative to, well, not work. In fact, Over 63% of Gen Y workers have a Bachelor's Degree, but the most commonly reported jobs for Gen Y don't necessarily even require a college degree, such as Merchandise Displayer and Cell Phone Sales Representative.

Though this report says that this is a strong indicator of the underemployment issue in the U.S. today, it seems more like a strong indicator of a generation with an issue of entitlement and extreme laziness - despite the opportunities that await them.

I am a Seattle-based freelance writer with a passion for companies building products that solve real problems. You can find me on my personal blog, Facebook,, & Twitter... and usually with a cup of coffee in hand, too.